Capping mechanism



Jan. 22, 1935. J. F. GEYER 1,989,039

CAPPING MECHNISM Filed April 15, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY ATTORNEYS. II.

Jan. 22, 1935. .J F, GEYER A 1,989,039

CAPPIG MECHANISM Filed April l5, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG I.

TTORNEYS.

Jan. 22, 1935. J. F. GEYER 1,989,039

CAPPING MECHANISM Filed April 15, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 P-'IG II.

Jan. 22, 193s. J, F. GEYER .1,989,039

CAPPING MEGHANISM Filed April 15, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG xi r J L A TTORNEYS Patented Jan. 22, 1935 UNITED STATES PATswr oFF-ice CAPPINGMECHANISM applicati@ Apriil V15, 1932, serial No. enana -4 claims. (or 22e-92)- Th-is. invention relates to. mechanism tor ap plying covers orv caps. toA receptacles. More specifically.. ithas reference. to capping mechan-ism designed for incorporation inii-llingfmarchines.. such as. are used. in. packing `ice cream andlike products. into paperv or. glass containers ofv a vtype having circumferential grooves internally. ofV their tops for; seating Vthe edges of dis.-

cous paper caps. l l

In 4the main, the invention is., directed toward provision of a simplemechanism. of the. kind reterred'` to. which is. capable of individually removing the discous caps from a supplyv magazine and applying` them-to. receptaclessuccessively presented incident to intermittent progression along the table, of the` filling machine; and' which is adaptable to. capping ot receptacles of dilerent heights. Y

Other objects. and attendant advantages. of this. invention will be manifest from the detailed descriptionfollowing in connection with the at.- Atached drawings, wherein Fig. I is. a` View partly inside elevation and partly in lcrokenawayl 4secr tion of a portion. of al receptacle llingmachine tted with the improved capping mechanism.,

Eig.. II is a vertical 'seotionalview taken. asfindioated by the arrowsIIe-II in Fig.` I.

Fig.y III is a. detail plan` section taken as; indicated; by. the arrows III-,IIIin Figs. I andII.y

Fig. IV is a View like III with. the parts diferently positioned., s n ,l

Eig. :v isa fragmentary longitudinalY sectional View taken as indicated by;v thearrowsVf-V in FiglII.. Y.,

Fig. VI, is a detail cross sectional view. taken asindicated by thearrows;` I'II.,

Fig. VII is a. detail, perspective View o a-slide by which the caps are individually removed from the supply magazine. Y r .f

Fig. VIII is a detail sectional viewcorrespondfing to- Fig, II showing certain parts, inar different position-' v. A Fig. IX is a fragmentary view corresponding tp- Fig. I showing the mechanism adaygitedI for capping receptacles of lesser height and diameter; and u Fig'. X is a plan sectional 'View' taken as indicated by the arrows X-"X in Fig. IXL,"

With more detailed reference to these illustrations, 11 indicates the table of thelling ma.- chine, whereon is'mounted a track 12 along which the receptacles-R are intermittently progressed 'inl the direction of the arrow in Fig.` I- from a filling mechanism', noty shown, to the capping mechanism with which the present invention is concerned, the said.7 capping mechanism being generally designated by. the numeral 1:3'.y The means `forl progressingy thel receptacles R as aforesaid is shown in. the1` presen-tinstance as having the-form of a sprocket chain 1l4L with equfii-spaced upstanding pins.15 to. engage theindividual cups from behindf, thefsaid` pins projectingI upwardly through: the longitudinal slot 1'6..inthe track 12', see Fig. II. 1

Thefnovelrcapping mechanism, it will benoted', comprises an upright bracket` 117-'y which Vis bolted tolthev top otthe table adjacent. the rear edgecthereot. Secured in;y turn. to.v this` upright bracket 117 at ai-'level above thel table 1I1 is a lateral bracket 18 which supports a columnar gravity-feed. stack: magazine 119 fonthecapsy C which are toA be; appliedf'to the receptaclesl The tubularV upper portion 20. of the magazine is made removableior a purpose. later on explainedl To theV bottom` ot the. magazinev 19 is bolted a horizontal plate 2l; is aligned centrally overv the` convevorV 1.4'- and; .which affords aguideway-for a reciprocating slide 22. As shown in Figs. INT' andi V, the slide-:122 is formed?- with shoulders. 234 of a 'height'. corresponding substantiallly to the thickness ot the ii-idividlial caps C, as welllv as with. a tongue 24i forwardly of said shoulders whereonY the caps normally rest. when the slide is retracted as in Fig. V; Reciprocatory movement i'simparted. to the slide 22 by means including a horizontal link25, which, at its forward end-connects witha rocker arm 26xhaving fulcrum nipportfat 27' on the` bracket: 117,2 From Fig. I it will be noted? thatl the rocker arm 26 iscsubi'ect to a spring- 28f, and that the upward extremity:V thereofl carries a roller 30. for cooperation` with arotary sami-3l'. on al transverse shaft 32 having journal support` iny a bearing- 33 at theftop. off the.. bracket 1l7. during its forward movement (.to-wardi the lett in Fig. I) the slide advances-the lowermostcap C the pile within the. magazine 19.--horizontally: to a yielding temporary: holder means generally desh ignated by thehun-xeral 35 at the@ forward end of theplate 21A .As shownhinfFi'gs. III` and? this temporary, holder means 35 `consists of'a pai-r of oppositely.1 curved! fingers whereof the-oneindicatediat 36 is xedi, 'by means. ot screws 3-7 and 38, in concentric relationto. an opening 39 in theplate 21, while the other linger 40AI is pivotedl for swinging movement on a screw.7 stud 41 let intosaid plate. A tension spring t2 tends todraw the swingingI finger 40 toward the sta* tionary .linger 36, the inward; movementvotsaid `swinging linger being' limited` byY anv adjustable set screw 43-which engages the edge of the plate 21 at the corresponding side. Obviously, by adjusting the screw 43, it is possible to regulate the clamping effect of the finger upon the caps C. Thus with this arrangement, as the slide 2 2 moves a cap C forward from the magazine 19, the swinging finger 40 yields to lateral displacement in opposition to the spring 42 until the cap is finally centered over the opening39 A portion 55 of the elevator .54, whereby the latter in the plate 21 and there held by the cooperative action of the two ngers 36 and 40. j y

Adapted to move downward through the opening 39 in the plate 21 ias-,a displacing plunger.

45 which is guided for up and down movement in a fixed bearing 46 afforded by the bracket 17. At its upper end the plunger 45 is fitted with a roller 47, which, by means 'of a compressionV spring 48 is maintained in operative contact with a rotary cam 49 fast on the shaft 32 which serves thecam 31 whereby the slide 22 is actuated. At its lowerend the plunger 45 is fittedwith a circular depressing head 50 designed to directly engage the top face of the cap C engaged between the fingers 36, 40 `of the holding means 35. It is to be particularly noted from Fig. I that the cams 31 and 49 are so arranged on the shaft -32that the slide .22 is operated in alternation with the depressing plunger 45 as required. The shaft 32 is continuously rotated throughl a sprocket chain connection indicatedv at lffrom ashaft `52 extending crosswise beneath the table y1lA in direct line with the said shaft 32. rIhe shaft52 is inturndriven at a constant speed from the drive shaft (not shown), of the filling machine. I Y

Coaxial with the depressing plunger 45, the table 11 is formed with an opening V53 forv up and` down passageof an elevator 54 that constitutes a temporary support for the receptacles R which are successively advanced into position beneath the holder means 35 bythe intermittently operative conveyor 14. As shown in Figs. I and II, the elevator 54 has a depending portion 55 with a laterally offset slide 56 which is confined vto vertical Yreciprocation in a guide 57 bolted or otherwisesecured to the bottomof the table 11. The elevator 54 is actuated by a rotary cam 58 on the shaft 52, which cooperates with a roller 59 on a screw stud 60that takes,v into a tapped opening 61 in the depending portion 55 of said elevator. For' a purpose, alsolater on explained, another Vtapped apertureA ...62; `is Aprovided in the depending portion 55 of the elevator 54 at a lower level. Upon lifting of the receptacle R bythe elevator 54 to the position illus'- .trated in Figs. I and II, the capC temporarily held by the holder means 35 is displaced downward from between the fingers 36 and40 until its circumferential edge is lodged within the circumferential seating groove G internally of the top of said receptacle. The incidents just described occur during dwell periods'ofthe conveyor 14, which, duringeach shift; serves to present a newreceptacle R to the filling mechanism immediately upon descent ofthe elevator 54 to the level of the track v12, this position of the elevatorbeing determined through engagement of a lateral lug 63 thereon with the top ofthe table 11 as shown in Fig. VIII. Obviously, the design of the various parts constituting the improved capping mechanism is such as to favor rapid operation of thev filling machine with definite assurance of individual feeding to the plunger and placement `of the caps onto the receptacles Asuccessively presented by the conveyor.

To adapt the mechanism for capping receptacles of lesser height, for example, receptacles of half pint size (those illustrated in Figs. I and II being pint size) certain of the parts are rearranged, and substitutes made for others in accordance with Figs. IX and X, wherein the smaller receptacles are designatedR. As shown, the screw stud for the roller 59 has been transferred to the lower aperture 62 in the pendant is moved correspondingly higher by the rotary cam 58 and the top edge of the receptacle R' brought into the same relation with the holder means 35 as was the case with the larger or pint size receptacle R in Figs. I and II. For the accommodation ofthe smaller caps C to fit the receptacles R', the tubular extension 20 of the magazine 19 of Figs. I and II has been replaced by the diametrically smaller extension 20 of Fig. IX, and another slide 22' substituted for the one previously used, said substitute slide being properly `portioned for operation. on the smaller caps. For the holder fingers 36 and 40 of Figs. I-IV, other fingers 36 and 40 have been substituted which are identical with the first mentioned except for having vinner edges of smaller radius to correspond with the smaller edge lcurvature of the caps C to insure proper centralization of said caps in respect to the plunger opening 39 in the plate 2l. The described re-arrangements and substitutions obviously do not in any way effect the operation of the mechanism..

Having thusr described the invention, what is claimed is:

1;,In capping mechanism, a gravity feed stack magazine; a` juxtapositioned yielding holder adapted to receive individual caps from the magazine; means operative at each actuation to advance the lowermost cap in the magazine to `the holder; a plunger with a fixed throw for displacing the cap downwardly from the holder means; means to support a receptacle beneath the holder; and actuating means to raise the support for elevation of the receptacle to receive the cap downwardlyl displaced from the holder by the plunger, the said actuating means including a rotary cam and a cooperating roller adjustable on the support to .adapt the mechanism for cappingreceptacles of vdifferent heights.

2. In capping mechanism, a gravity stack r'magazine for the caps; a juxtapositioned yielding holder means for receiving individual caps edgewse from the magazine comprising a pair of spring-connected -oppositely-curved fingers, the one fixed and the'othermovable toward and away from the first; a set screw on the movable finger to engage a stationary abutment whereby the extent of movement of the movable finger toward 'the fixed finger may be adjustedl and the clamping--eifectupon the caps regulated; means operative at each actuation to advance the lowermost cap in the magazine horizontally into position between the fingers of the holder means; and means for displacing the cap from between the fingers of the holder means onto the receptacle supportedtherebeneath.

3. In. capping mechanism, atable; a gravity feed stack magazine for the caps supported above `the table; a juxtapositioned holder for receiving individual caps from the magazine; means opera- -tive at each actuation to advance the lowermost `cap in the magazine to the holder; a plunger with `a fixed throw for displacing the cap downwardly from the holder means; a conveyor chain for progressing the receptacles to be capped along the table for successive placement in position beneath the holder; a plunger elevator centrally recessed in its top to clear the conveyor chain incident to raising an individual receptacle to receive the cap downwardly displaced from the holder by the plunger; and a rotary actuating cam cooperating with a roller adjustable on the elevator to adapt the mechanism for capping receptacles of different heights.

4. In capping mechanism, a gravity feed stack magazine for the caps; a juxtapositioned yielding holder means for receiving individual caps edgewise from the magazine, comprising a pair of spring-connected oppositely-curved fingers, one fixed and the other movable toward and away from the rst; adjustable means whereby the extent of movement of the movable iinger toward the fixed finger may be adjusted andthe clamping eiect on the caps regulated; means operative at each actuation to advance the lowermost cap in the magazine horizontally into position between the fingers of the holder means; and means for displacing the cap from between the ngers of the holder means onto a receptacle supported therebeneath.

BLANCHE M. GEYER. Executria: of the Estate of John F. Geyer,

Deceased. 

